Master control cabinet for jail door operating systems



y 1932- J.-K. MARDICK ET AL 1,357,924

ROL CABINET FOR Filed July 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l May. 10, 1932.

J. K. MARDICK ET AL MASTER CONTROL CABINET FOR JAIL DOOR OPERATING SYSTEMS Filed July 6, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT: orl-"lce JOHN' K. MABDICK AND LLOYD J. WHITE, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNORS TO SOUTHERN PRISON COMPANY, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS MASTER CONTROL CABINET FOR J AIL DOOR OPERATING- SYSTEMS Application filed July 6, 1931. Serial 110. 549,043.

systems and, among other objects, aims to provide an improved counterbalanced, slid able door panel for inset cabinets so arranged as to afford easy and quick access to the operating mechanism.

Other alms and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig.1 is a fro'nt elevation of a control cabinet having the preferred form of door applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the door open;

ig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line taken on the 4.-4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a'sectlonal view taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1; and ,7

' Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 in Fig. 2.

Master control cabinets for jail doors are usually arranged at the end of a row of cells in a jailers corridor which is separated from the prisoners corridor. The jailers corridor is sometimes quite narrow to economize with floor space. Heretofore, it has been customary to provide swinging doors for such cabinets. It has been found that such doors not only obstruct thepassageways when they are open, but also present some hazards to a-jailer in case of mutinies. In some instances, the corridor space is too -narrow to permit swinging a door open.

This invention provides 'a vertically sliding door assembly adapted to be built in a control cabinet and so constructied-thatit requires no extra space in which to open, and which can be opened and closed very quickly but cannot be easily tampered with by prisoners.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the preferred form of door is shown as being installed in a'rectan ular'control box 10 which is usually placed-5t the end of arow of cells. This box is preferably secured with it's back against a corridor wall 11 so that thewall constitutes an operating p'anel12 fora masinside struct the opening.

terhand wheel13 and selector levers or buttons 14: for controlling the doors.

"15 and 16, respectively, whose rear flanges are secured to the panel 'or rear wall 12. The front flanges 17 of the channels 15 extend inwardly and are utilized as front guides for a pairof vertically slidable door panels 18 and 19,- preferably made, of tool-proof metal. Sheet metal panels 20 and 21 are secured to the front flanges at the top and bottom respectively, Fig.1, so that door panels will slide behind them= whenthe door is opened. These fixed panels are preferably reinforced at the edges adjacent to the door opening, by steel strips 22 secured on both the outside and inside of said panels- To provide rear guides for the sliding door panels, a pair of structural angles 23 other when they are closed. Both door panels are shown as havingnarrow vertical 25 secured to them behind the bevelled faces of the channel guide flanges-:17. However, filler strips might be welded on the flanges instead. The upper door panel'prefstrips below the edge of the panel to, provide a receiving groove for the upper edge of the lower 7 strip 26, so that the upper door panel may be opened. by grasping the handle and raisingit. 7 f m l The door panels are connected to move in unison and are counterbalanced, the mechani smbeing. so arranged that it does not ob} In this instance, .the

lowerdoor: panel has an inverted,U'-shaped erably has a pair oftransverse strips26 secured to its lower edge'between the inner edges of the guide flanges'l'? and projecting frame consisting of side strips or members 29 secured to the inside of the door panel at the opposite edges to Work in the guides 24, 17 and these strips 29 project above the upper edge of the lower panel a height slightly stantially parallel with the outer run.

greater than the height of the door opening, being conneeted by a transverse strip 30'at the top.

On this strip 30, at the center or above the center ofgravityof the lower door is secured thebracket 31' so that: the innerrun or flight of the chain 32'willhang vertically and sub- The arrangement is such that whena little lifting force is applied'to the handle 28 on the upperdoor panel, both panels willopen simultaneously, the lower one openingby. gravity. Uponclosing the upper panel the lower panel will be raisedby the sprocket and chain: 1

Both doors are adaptedto be lockedwhen closed so as to-prevent unauthorized tamperaing with the operating mechanism. In this -examp'le,-., a lock 35 of the sliding, bolt type is secured totheinside of the lower panel 19 at one side and a keeper 36 conveniently in the form of anangle bracket having an opening ln-oneflangeis securedto-the guide member 23 (Fig; 5). The locking bolt is adapted-to be projected into the opening by a key.. Onthe-lowerinside edge-of the upper door'panel; there is shown-a locking bracket 37 secured on a spacer block 38 andihaving a bolt-receiving hole ina vertical flange 39.

This bolt opening is adaptedto register or be aligned with the keeper opening Sothat the locking bolt 1 will E pass through. both of' them.

The lock is thus concealed with the box so that it cannot easily be'broken. 'Toprevent trash fromdropping into the bottom of the bOX,'tl1BI6 is shown a partition 40 secured to the rear wall12-at the bottom of the door'opening. Also,.a narrow shelf or partition41is securedlto the wallinear the upper. part ofthe'door'opening; These partitions alsoserve to prevent prisoners from jamming "the doorpan'els or the connections between them. Thelower. partition has an opening 42.into which thelock 35 may. move whenithe lower door panel isopen. The'upper'shel'f or partition. also has a notch. or opening 43 for the chains 31and'bracket 34. From the foregoing description, it will be seen'that the control boxorcabinetiand the door assemblycan be built. as aunit ready to be installed. The doorpanels require no outslde or extra space in which to be opened. The counterbalanced. panels permit them to be quickly opened and closed with very little effort. There are no exposed parts which are easily broken. All of the parts are easy to assemble and can be made at a very reasonable cost.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted tothe particular. embodiment thereof. herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be usedconjointly, since they maybe employed advantageously in various combinations and. subcombinations.

What we claim is:

1. A master control cabinet for jail door operating systems having vertical guides at the opposite sides; a pair of slidable door panels=mounted in saidguides ;'and counterbalancing connections between said panels which insure movement. of the. panels simultaneously in opposite directionswhen opened and closed; said counterbalancing connections being such that the opening into the cabinet'is entirely unobstructed when both panelsare wide open.

2. A master control cabinet for-jail door operating systems comprising, in combination, channel beams forming the. side walls and so arranged that the flanges on one edge provide front door. guide members; rearr guide elements secured. to the webs of said beams: fixedupper. and-ilower panels secured to the beams defining a dooropening in front of'the operating mechanism; apair of' door counterbalanced panels. slidably mountedint.

the guides; and a lock arranged to lock both panels in closed position.

3. A master control cabinet for jail door operating systems comprising, in combination, channel beams forming the side;walls and so arrangedthat the flanges on one edge provide front door guide members; rear guide elements secured to the webs-of said beams; fixed upper: and lower panels secured to the beams defining a: door opening in front of' the operating mechanism; a pair of door counterbalanced panels shdably mounted in theguides; a handle-on one door panel; and

a lock on the other panel arranged. tolock both panels in closed position.

41' In a master control cabinet ofthe-class described, vertical guide members at the opposite sides; av pair of slidable door panels mounted in' the guides; brackets on the inside: of said panels a sprocket wheel above the centers of said panels; and a chain trained over said sprocket connected to said brackets.

5. In a master control cabinet of the class described, side walls having vertical guides;-'

fixed upper and lower front panels defining adoor opening; a pair of sliding door panels in said guides. oneabove the other; a frame connected to the lower panel and extending upwardly abovethe upper edge ofv the door opening; a sprocket in the upper portion of the cabinet above the centers of said panels; and a sprocket chain trained over said sprocket and connected at one end to the upper end portion of said frame and, at the other end, to the lower edge of the upper door panel.

6. In a master control cabinet of the class described, side walls having vertical guides; fixed upper and lower front panels defining a door opening; a pair of sliding door panels in said guides, one above the other; a frame connected to the lower panel and extending upwardly above the upper edge of the door opening; a sprocket in the cabinet above the centers of said panels; a sprocket chain trained over said sprocket and connected at one end to the upper end port-ion of said frame and, at the other end, to the lower edge of the upper door panel;-

a handle on the lower edge of the upper panel; a lock onthe lower panel; a fixed keeper for the look at one side of the cabinet; and a locking flange on the upper panel adapted to register with the fixed keeper so as to lock both panels closed.

7. In a master control cabinet of the class described having vertical door guides at the opposite sides and fixed front panels defining a door opening: a pair of counterbalanced door panels mounted in said guides; sheet metal plates on the edge of one panel adapted to overlap the edge of the other panel when the panels are closed; a lock for both of the panels; and partitions in the cabinet adjacent to the upper and lower ends of the door opening.

In testimony, as our own, we have natures.

that we claim the foregoing hereto aflixed our sig- J. K. MARDIGK. L. J. WHITE;

the upper portion of 

